Something a little different from me today as part of the 12 Days of Clink Street which is where a number of Clink Street authors are coming together to provide various different blog posts about their books.

I thought that with the excesses of Christmas coming up you might like to hear about a book that might be just the thing for after the festive season when we’re all bloated and full of pigs in blankets and chocolates. Thank you to Rachel Gilbey from Authoright for the place on the tour and the copy of the book.

I asked Rick Hay about his approach to a healthier Christmas so if you would like to try and not overdo it in the first place this year then read on. First of all though, here’s a bit about the book:

Tune up, tone up and rev up with an inspired but easy-to-follow twelve-week healthy eating plan that unlocks the remarkable power of superfoods, and high-intensity exercises, for all fitness levels. Bewildered by Açai berries and confused by kefir? The growing trend for embracing the nutritional force of so-called superfoods has left many of us unsure where to start -and what to eat. Whether you’re looking to lose weight or embrace a healthier lifestyle, smart nutrition and increased levels of activity are essential to reach long-term goals and experience the greatest health benefits.

Blending the very latest scientific and nutritional research with delicious eating and work out plans and sumptuous photography, The Anti Ageing Food and Fitness Plan by Ideal World TV’s resident Health and Fitness expert, Rick Hay, targets ageing and fitness at a cellular level to promote a sustainable diet and general wellbeing that will help anyone to change their lives for the better. Rick’s twelve-week plan recommends mouth-watering, easy-to-prepare and nutrient-dense meals and snacks that deliver the required vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients to optimise digestive function, and pairs these recipes perfectly with a work out routine consisting of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) to burn calories and gentler stretching practices to help relax muscles.

The first four weeks have been designed to recalibrate the body using a diet primarily consisting of plant-based proteins. This Tune Up phase is followed by Rev Up, which takes readers up to week eight, introducing thermogenic spices to boost metabolism. The final four Tone Up weeks primarily focus on weight management and increasing strength by ramping up exercise. Also included are Hay’s tips and tricks for the best superfood and nutrient combinations to help maintain results once the programme has been completed. The Anti Ageing Food and Fitness Plan is not purely about nutrient density, losing weight and getting ripped; it’s a sustainable philosophy which allows readers to revitalise their minds and bodies, with a food and fitness plan designed to maximise health and wellbeing. This accessible and effective programme helps to demystify the superfood arena, enabling us all to eat and live well by making every delicious and nutritious mouthful count.

My approach to a healthier Christmas day is this – do not deprive yourself of your favourite Christmas dinner or lunch. It’s only once a year and you really should celebrate and enjoy all of your favourite foods.

Eat, drink and be merry!

So why not make the rest of your Christmas day healthier and that way you can enjoy your main meals without the guilt.

I would however, encourage you to go more plant based over the festive season as this will reduce the stress on both your digestive and cardio vascular systems.

After the recipes I have included some really quick HIIT ten minute exercise routines that will help you to work off those inevitable extra Christmas pounds without too much hassle.

Healthier Christmas Day:

Start the day with a green Christmassy Smoothie:

Sweet Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

one small avocado

a handful of spinach

250 mls of rice, oat or coconut milk

two dates

Two or three teaspoons of a plant based protein powder is also recommended if toning and weight loss are your goals and you could add extra nuts for extra protein too.

Spiralise one small apple – add raisons and mixed seeds a teaspoon of cinnamon.

This is tastier if you also add 20 to 30mls of rice milk or a dollop of unsweetened yoghurt.

Baked Honey Pear

Bake one pear for ten minutes on a low heat.

When ready serve with a teaspoon of honey and two teaspoons of coconut yogurt.

Finish off with a handful of goji berries.

Cacao Yoghurt

Fold a teaspoon or two of cacao into 100g of natural greek style yoghurt.

Top with passionfruit or half of a kiwi fruit.

———-

The best way to get fast fitness results is to follow a simple but effective HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) fitness plan.

This one has easy to follow quick body weight exercises designed to burn fat and build lean muscle!

There are two options so you have some variety – do one one day then have a day off and then do the other followed with another day off – then repeat.

There are 4 exercises in each circuit to do each day.

Perform one for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds before moving onto the next exercise.

Repeat the entire circuit 2 or 3 times which means the entire workout should take around 10 to 15 minutes.

Routine One:

Speed Squats. Stand with feet hip width apart, squat down by sticking your butt out behind you (as if to it on an invisible chair) and raise your arms up to parallel to the floor as you perform the squat. Do the squat quickly & repeat for 30 seconds.

Mountain Climbers. Assume a ‘high plank’ position, on hands and toes, making sure the shoulders are over the wrists. Draw one knee at a time towards the nose, keeping the foot off the floor, repeat other side, and move as fast as you can!

Lunge with a twist. Start by standing up straight legs together, hands held in front of you (near your waist, holding a weight for added intensity if required). Take one big step forward, bending at the knee & keeping this knee directly above the ankle. Lower your back knee toward the ground, as you do this twist to one side, as you twist back, push back in to standing position and repeat.

Jump backs with a push up. Begin in high plank position, ‘jump’ your feet (together) into a crouch position close to your hands, jump back to starting position (x2) and then perform a push up (on your knees if necessary). Repeat.

Routine Two

Burpee. Start standing. crouch down planting your hands in front of your feet, step back into high plank position, hold and step back into standing. Repeat. To add intensity, jump feet back and add in a push up, then add in a jump when back to standing. Quicken the pace as you go.

Plank. This is a static hold, i.e. no movement. Position yourself in a high plank position, keeping hips level with your shoulders and heels. Draw your belly button toward your spine, hold but breath normally. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. (you can do this on knees if necessary, but keep hips level with shoulders and knees).

Jump ups. Start standing, then simply jump up into the air, as you land go into a squat position. Keep jumping for the 30 seconds. To increase intensity as you jump pull up your knees as far as you can and go into a deeper squat.

Ab punch. Lie flat on the ground, bring the feet into a bent knee position (near your butt) & place your hands behind your head. Perform a sit up and then add in 4 x punches alternating left to right, then lie back down and repeat.

Thank you, Rick. I hope this has inspired some of my readers to try a healthier Christmas.

I’m not reviewing this book as such as I haven’t followed the plan. So I thought I would use a series of bullet points to highlight the things that I spotted in looking through the book.

There’s an endorsement from actress, Sarah Parish who has successfully followed the plan.

Rick Hay does suggest using supplements from his own range but I don’t see that as a problem. He’s recommending a plan and he’s recommending supplements to work alongside that plan.

The diet is one mostly made up of nutrient dense plant based protein and the meals and snacks in the book have been chosen so as to give your body everything they need.

The claim is that it can extend your life expectancy, help your digestion and help you to lose weight.

There are plenty of attractive and colourful images.

The plan is for those who don’t like calorie counting, but every diet is ultimately about keeping yourself in check.

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) Cardio Circuit Challenges are a part of the plan. You do intervals of low to moderate intensity training alternated with short bursts of high intensity intervals. I suppose this makes it easier for a lot of people to keep up.

There are beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts along with stretches and a warm up routine.

The first four weeks are a sort of warm up. During this time there is an option to replace some meals with a protein shake. The meal choices are very healthy and there are three options to choose from for breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, mid-afternoon and dinner. There is also a suggestion for after dinner and before bed.

Then we go into weeks 5-8 in which thermogenic spices such as cayenne, chilli, pepper and turmeric are introduced to assist metabolism.

And finally there are weeks 9-12 in which I think you are meant to see more weight loss and have more energy.

At the end of the book there are some recommendations from the author about superfood combinations, keeping your body young, beating the bloat and a natural face lift. There are also recipes for smoothies.

I think the Anti-Ageing Food and Fitness Plan is all very doable if you have the motivation to stick to the food and the exercise and to succeed at any weight loss/healthy eating plan that is ultimately what you need.

Rick Hay is a renowned fitness and food expert with over twenty years experience as a nutritionist. Since relocating to the UK from his native Australia in 2010, Rick has successfully made a name for himself on television where he is currently the resident Health and Fitness Expert for Ideal World TV. He has previously written for Natural Health and Your Fitness magazines and is the author of Nutritional Blast (published February 2016 by Ideal World TV).

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